Born in 1962 in Watertown, NY, Coach Slate grew up with his mother and older brother. He started attending school in Watertown in 1967 and successfully graduated in 1980. At a young age, he discovered his artistic talent and developed a passion for sports. Lacrosse wasn't initially on his radar until a football teammate approached him, explaining that they were in need of a goalie for the lacrosse team. Once he held a lacrosse stick in his hands, his spirited journey with the game began. Despite not intending to go to college due to financial constraints within his family, he always assumed he would become a janitor. His high school art teacher and guidance counselor held a different perspective, recognizing his potential. With his guidance counselor's encouragement, he submitted applications to a few different colleges. Buffalo State College accepted him for art education, and he was additionally recruited as a lacrosse goalie.

While attending Buffalo State College from 1980 through 1984 he earned his Bachelor's, and later on his Master's Degree in teaching. Not just a fan of playing lacrosse, he also took delight in capturing the dynamic movements of lacrosse players and various other sports through his drawings. Upon graduating, he landed his first teaching and coaching positions near his hometown at General Brown high School. He taught art and coached lacrosse at General Brown from 1984 until 1988. He had 2 successful seasons while there before moving on to the Hudson Valley.

In 1988, he secured a teaching position at Saugerties High School, taking on the role of a senior high art teacher and serving as the yearbook advisor. Concurrently, while searching for lacrosse coaching opportunities, he discovered a scarcity of lacrosse presence in the area. His quest led him to Marist College across the Hudson River, where he became an assistant coach the following year. After a season, he discovered there was a club lacrosse team at Kingston High School. Taking initiative, he contacted the athletic director, a fellow Watertown native, and was invited to assist Coach Tocco in jumpstarting the Kingston lacrosse boys' modified team. Following the successful establishment of the modified lacrosse team at Kingston, he received requests from students at Saugerties High School to initiate a program there. In 2000, he founded a lacrosse club at Saugerties, and by 2001, it officially transitioned into a varsity program. Expanding his impact, Coach Slate introduced the boys' Junior Varsity, boys' modified, and girls' varsity teams, along with the Saugerties Area Youth Lacrosse program (SAYLAX) in 2006. Furthermore, he played a pivotal role in assisting other schools in launching lacrosse teams within their districts. Notably, Coach Slate's contributions extended beyond coaching; he successfully helped establish the Section 9 Lacrosse Refs Association and served as the Section 9 chairman for many years. He is remembered and revered not only for coaching lacrosse but also for imparting valuable life lessons to every student and player who crossed his path, fostering success beyond the game.